


Vortex

by masulevin



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 03:47:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13673634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masulevin/pseuds/masulevin
Summary: When a turian won't leave him alone at the bar, Ryder asks Liam for help. Liam... sends in Jaal.





	Vortex

 

He just wanted a drink. He wanted to come here, hang out with his friends, get a little tipsy maybe, and then go back to his Nexus apartment to sleep for twelve or fifteen hours. Instead, he’s standing by the bar, a weird mixed drink clutched in his hands, staring at a turian who is absolutely _not_ picking up on his signals.

He even said _out loud_ that his friends were waiting for him. He tried to walk around the turian to the table where Liam and Peebee are waiting. He tried to say _thanks but no thanks,_ but that had just made the turian change his tactics to flattery.

He doesn’t need to hear one more compliment about the work he’s done on Eos and Elaaden. He doesn’t want to hear more thanks for finding the arks. He just wants to get shitfaced and then _go the fuck to sleep._

 _Ryder._ SAM’s voice on their private connection doesn’t make him jump, but he does close his eyes briefly before forcing them back open. _You are exhibiting symptoms of stress._

 _Yeah, SAM, can you send a message to Liam please? Tell him I need help_ _right now_ _._ The turian doesn’t notice that he’s started subvocalizing a completely different conversation, focused instead on complimenting his eyes. Were guys back in the Milky Way like this?

Behind the turian, Ryder can see Liam looking down at his omnitool. After a moment, Liam’s eyes snap up to meet Ryder’s and a wide, bright smile lights up his face. He turns to Peebee and holds out his wrist, pointing at the message and then over at where Ryder is standing. Peebee leans over and whispers something in Liam’s ear, something that makes Liam bubble over with laughter.

_Ah, shit._

Ryder turns back to the turian, desperate to leave, and tries again: “Listen, it was nice to meet you, but--”

“Actually, I wanted to ask _you_ ,” the turian continues, speaking before Ryder is finished, ready to use up all of his time until his shore leave is over or until the archon comes personally onto the station to interrupt their conversation. _If only._

Around  the turian, Ryder can see that Jaal is now at the table, listening intently to Liam and Peebee filling him in on Ryder’s problem. Ryder can tell that’s what they’re talking about, because Peebee is unabashedly staring at him, her chin propped on her fists, and Jaal keeps sending him increasingly confused looks.

_Jesus fucking--_

Jaal suddenly stands upright, turning his whole body toward Ryder, and Ryder finds himself flushing already. He glances up at the turian, who’s inching closer, and takes a step back. Jaal’s bioelectric field reaches them before Jaal does, making the little hairs on the back of Ryder’s neck stand on end like it always does, and he suppresses a shiver.

The shiver returns full force when Jaal steps purposefully between Ryder and the turian and places one large hand on Ryder’s unarmored shoulder. It’s heavy and warm and Ryder can already feel his cheeks turning an embarrassing shade of red when he looks up to meet Jaal’s gaze.

“ _Ryder,_ darling one,” Jaal starts, voice deep and rumbling. Ryder opens his mouth to ask _what the fuck, Jaal_ , but the alien continues without hesitation: “I have been _waiting_ for you.”

“I--I’m sorry?” Ryder’s voice is an embarrassing squeak. Jaal blinks very slowly -- his version of a wink, Ryder thinks -- and grins, showing his teeth, and then Ryder realizes what Liam and Peebee told him to do. “I was, uh, talking to--” He doesn’t even know the turian’s name, but it doesn’t matter.

Jaal turns to include the turian in the conversation, but doesn’t stop touching Ryder. Instead, he slides that big hand of his around Ryder’s shoulders, squeezing Ryder against his side. Ryder _certainly_ doesn’t squeak in surprise again. If he makes _any_ noise, it’s because he clears his throat.

“Thank you for keeping my _taoshay_ company,” he says, staring the turian down.  The turian shifts his weight from one foot to the other, wiggles his mandibles in distress, glances back at Ryder one last time, and then spins around to flee.

Jaal isn’t done though, turning to Ryder and cupping his face in both large hands. “Ryder, you shine in my life with the light of a thousand stars; please do not spend so much time away from me again.”

Ryder raises his empty hand to place over one of Jaal’s as his breath catches in his throat. _This is ridiculous._ “Jaal, uhh… I think he’s gone?” There’s another moment of silence where neither of them move, then Jaal drops his hands back to his waist and practically _glows_ with pride, lips twisting into a grin.

“Liam and Peebee said you needed my assistance, and that the fastest way would be to pretend that I was your lover.” Ryder blinks, hard, at the word _lover_ and he knows his blush is growing brighter when Jaal’s large eyes roam over his pink cheeks. “Did I… do well?” He tilts his head to the side and blinks twice, waiting for Ryder’s reaction.

“You did great, Jaal.” Ryder forces out, hoping his heart and skin will return to normal. “I don’t think he’ll bother me again.”

Jaal makes a pleased noise, kind of a rumbling purr, glancing over his shoulder to see if the turian is within eyeshot. He isn’t, but Jaal still reaches out for Ryder’s hand and twines their fingers together as well as he can.

“Just to be safe,” he says, and then tugs Ryder behind him to where Liam and Peebee are still waiting, grinning like mad and whispering to each other.

Ryder leans in between them, voice low enough so that Jaal won’t be able to hear, even though their hands are still clasped, and hisses, “I’m going to kill you _both_.”

Liam laughs out loud, tipping his head back and squeezing his eyes closed. Peebee snorts with laughter and presses her forehead into Liam’s shoulder. “All talk, Pathfinder. _All_ talk.”


End file.
